Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

When we need a creamy, comforting hearty dinner that we know our whole family will dig into without complaining, we reach for this Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breast recipe – its packed with flavor and cooked from scratch in a slow cooker!

At Avdaye, we add lots of tips in all of our recipes – because we are a home cook without any formal training, and we find we are more confident making dishes when we understand why it works, and what each ingredient means to the flavor of a recipe. Our goal is for even the most beginner home cook to feel empowered in the kitchen.

Creamy Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

What's the best thing about this tomato basil chicken recipe? You add everything into the crockpot and forget about it until it's time for dinner! This recipe is the easiest weeknight meal, but it tastes like take-out!

These chicken breasts are packed with savory basil flavor and smothered in a creamy tomato basil sauce – our family can be picky about sauces, but this is one even our son who hates tomatoes likes. The creamy texture is totally addictive – it is great over spaghetti, or with browned vegetables stirred in if you're looking for ways to sneak more veggies in your kids diet.

We designed this recipe to be adaptable – feel free to get creative and make some swaps your family loves!

Made with cream cheese, tomato sauce, and Italian spices, it's packed with good flavors the whole family will enjoy.

How To Make Slow Cooker Tomato Basil Chicken Breasts

Made with only 8-ingredients, this recipe is easy to make! Get out your slow cooker, gather your ingredients, and sit back and relax! Here's what you need to get started:

• Diced Tomatoes with Italian Herbs (14 oz can): Adds a rich, tomatoey foundation with the added benefit of Italian herbs (like oregano, basil, and thyme) for a flavorful, aromatic sauce.
• Pasta Sauce (1 cup): Enhances the tomato base and adds a thicker, richer texture to the sauce. The seasoning in the pasta sauce provides additional depth of flavor.
• Cream Cheese (1 cup, softened): Creates a smooth, creamy texture, balancing the acidity of the tomatoes. It also adds a rich, mild tang that makes the sauce more luxurious.
• Garlic (6 cloves, minced): Provides a robust, pungent flavor that infuses the sauce with a savory depth. Garlic is essential in Italian-inspired dishes for a strong, aromatic foundation.
• Salt (1 teaspoon): Enhances the natural flavors of the chicken, tomatoes, and herbs, bringing out the best in each ingredient.
• Basil (¼ cup, freeze-dried or fresh, chopped): Adds a bright, fresh, and slightly sweet flavor that complements the tomatoes and garlic, while giving the dish its characteristic basil aroma.
• Black Pepper (¼ teaspoon): Adds a gentle heat and sharpness, balancing the creaminess of the sauce and enhancing the overall seasoning.
• 8. Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (2 lb): The lean chicken breasts absorb the rich, creamy tomato sauce and become tender as they cook. They provide a hearty base to the dish, allowing the sauce to shine.

Once you gather your ingredients, we will use the following process:

Mix Sauce

First, add the tomato sauce, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, and pepper to the slow cooker. Stir and mix well.

Cook

Next, add your chicken breasts to the slow cooker. Press it into the sauce until fully submerged.

Cook. Put your lid on the slow cooker. Set it on high and cook for 4-hours, or until the sauce has thickened.

Serve

Serve over pasta, rice, vegetables – or on it's own with a side!

Kitchen notes

Don't worry about lumps. There will be lumps of cream cheese when you mix it with the sauce and spices. This is ok, we want it mixed but not too smooth. The lumps will melt as it cooks.

Add more cheese. A cup of grated parmesan cheese is good on top.

Brown the Chicken First (Optional): Searing the chicken breasts in a skillet before slow cooking adds extra flavor and gives the dish a richer taste. It also helps lock in moisture. If swapping chicken thighs for chicken breasts, you definitely want to brown the chicken first, especially if using skin-on thighs.

Use Bone-In for Extra Moisture: If you want extra juicy chicken, consider using bone-in chicken breasts. They cook more slowly and retain more moisture, though boneless, which is the standard, will work fine too.

Layer the Ingredients Properly: Place the onion, garlic, and tomato sauce at the bottom of the slow cooker before adding the chicken breasts on top. This allows the chicken to cook evenly and soak up the flavor from the sauce.

Don't Overcook: Chicken breasts cook quickly in a slow cooker, so aim for 4-5 hours on low or 2-3 hours on high. Use a meat thermometer to check when they reach 165°F (74°C) to avoid overcooking and drying out the chicken.

Use Fresh Basil for Maximum Flavor: While dried basil works, using fresh basil at the end of cooking will bring out the best flavor. Add it right before serving to retain its vibrant taste.

Adjust Thickness of Sauce: If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer uncovered in the slow cooker for the last 15-20 minutes to reduce. You can also thicken it with a bit of Parmesan cheese or a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water).

Don't Skip the Garlic: Fresh garlic is key to a flavorful dish. You can also sauté the garlic and onion before adding them to the slow cooker for extra depth in the sauce.

Garnish and Serve: Garnish with fresh basil and a drizzle of olive oil for extra flavor. This dish pairs well with pasta, rice, or crusty bread to soak up the creamy tomato sauce.

A few answers

What temperature should we cook this chicken at?

You should put your slow cooker on high to cook the chicken. However, you can also cook it on low, but will need to increase the time to 8 hours.

How long does this recipe take?

With prep time and cook time, you can have this recipe done in about 4 hours and 10 minutes. Or, if you want to cook it on low, it will take 8 hours and 10 minutes.

Can we use frozen chicken?

You can use frozen chicken instead, but you will need to increase the time by at least an hour. Additionally, you will want to check the internal temperature before you serve your chicken. Keep in mind that other professionals do not recommend cooking frozen chicken in the crockpot. This is all up to what you feel safe doing.

How do you cut basil?

If you can use fresh basil, then you need to cut it down a bit. The best way to do this is by chaffolding the basil leaves. Roll the basil leaves horizontally and then carefully slice ribbons of basil off the rolled leaf. This will give you long ribbons of basil that you can use or can cut down further into smaller pieces.

What pasta sauce do we use?

You can use your favorite pasta sauce or spaghetti sauce. You can use homemade sauce or buy a jar. Marinara is also a great sauce to use for this basil chicken recipe.

How do we store leftover tomato basil chicken?

This chicken stores well in your refrigerator for 3-5 days. place it in a tupperware bowl and put it in your fridge. Additionally, it makes a great freezer meal. Let your chicken and sauce cool completely, and then put it in a freezer Ziploc bag. You can store it in the freezer for up to 3-months.

Serve it with

You can serve your juicy chicken in this good creamy basil sauce on top of rice, with pasta, vegetables, or potatoes. We like to serve these chicken breasts with a heaping pile of rice, our Roasted Parmesan Garlic Asparagusour Pan Roasted Butter Carrotsor our Air Fryer Brussel Sprouts.

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Ingredients

• 14 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian herbs
• 1 cup pasta sauce
• 1 cup cream cheese, softened
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ cup basil, freeze dried or fresh, chopped
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Method

1. Add tomato sauce, cream cheese, diced tomatoes, garlic, salt, basil, pepper to slow cooker and stir well to mix. There will be lumps of cream cheese which is ok, we want it mixed but not to smooth.
2. Add chicken breasts to slow cooker, and press into sauce until submerged.
3. Add lid, set slow cooker to high.
4. Cook on high for 4 hours, until sauce has thickened and chicken has reached 175 internal temperature.
5. Serve with pasta, rice, vegetables, or potatoes and enjoy!